Skin and Skin Cancer

Overview

Skin diseases, including skin cancer, affect huge numbers of Australians and represent a major burden to the health of the Australian population and the nation’s health budget. Skin cancers, including keratinocyte cancers (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) and melanomas, are the most common form of cancer in Australia and account for eighty percent of all cancers diagnosed each year. In fact, Queensland has the highest incidence of all types of skin cancer in the world.

The diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer incurs the highest costs of all cancers in the Australian health budget. As such, there are strong social, clinical and economic arguments for more basic and clinical research to drive translational outcomes within this field, with the aim of improving the experiences of patients with skin disease, including both survival and morbidity. The establishment of a Skin and Skin Cancer Theme has the potential to facilitate rapid advancement in the field.